


Confessions

by BallFondler



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Blowjobs, Confession, Eventual Smut, Gay, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, TrueRivalShipping, applin, brief Nessa mention, is it love? maybe, lots of fluff, raileon, struggle with sexuality, there are dicks to be sucked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BallFondler/pseuds/BallFondler
Summary: Leon's plan seems pretty direct. Catch an applin and confess to his crush. Simple right? Only issue? His crush also happens to be his best friend and rival of ten years. Battling and stomping competition is easy, he fights with tons of tough competitors all the time, but even he has to admit this intimidates him a lot.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 20
Kudos: 219





	1. Chapter 1

There's a rumor that if you give the one you like an Applin, you'll be together forever. This inspired packs of trainers to throw their hand at the Pokémon Den, searching desperately for the tiny apple Pokémon. A romantic gesture, since it takes so much time and work to find such a small creature, which shouldn't be a problem for Leon of all people. Being Champion has its rewards, sponsorships roll in like a herd of Wooloo almost constantly, but this also keeps him from having much free time. Rose and Oleana have made certain his schedules are always tight. 

Today was his first chance in a while. 

He had been reading over Goomle that Applins were supposed to be active near the Dusty Bowl during sunny weather. Dressed in black joggers, trainers, white t-shirt hair pulled back in a ponytail and a white snapback, he silently prayed that no random trainers would be out and about at this time. He had to remain focused on the task at hand. Still, if there was a bystander, and they knew he was hunting for an Applin it would make the mind wonder: Is he planning on adding a new team member to his stellar party, or is there someone special he's hunting it for? 

It's all over the media, even he had the misfortune of running across some of the clickbait articles. Plastered in big captions, _"Champion Leon: Is he seeing someone?",_ then, _"Does the Champ have a special girl in his life? We think so!"_ also, _"The Champion's secret relationship is OUT, and we know who he's been hobknockering with!"_ he snorted as he surveyed the grass. It's funny because a lot of those articles were just as in the dark as he wanted them to believe. Save slightly for the hilarious article, _"Does Champion Leon is gay?"_ which had him laughing for a solid fifteen minutes the other day. 

Suddenly there is something red peaking above the grass, his breath hitches and he quickly runs up to it. Quick ball in hand, itching with anticipation, he reaches to grab- oh wait. Another Roselia. 

_"Shoot. Sorry to bug you."_ he apologizes, the Roselia, very startled, momentarily stunned from the sudden human quickly scampered off. 

Leon sighs, he's been at this for almost two hours and still no signs of an Applin. 

Still, that stupid article was slightly more on track, mostly because the 'secret lady' the media wanted to make up stories for wasn't even a lady. It was a guy, and he was just as in the dark about it as them. 

He felt a nervous chill of anxiety run down his back. 

How in the world could I even work up the guts to tell him something like _that?_ Leon pondered. Sure, Leon in the media was herald to being the silly rambunctious guy who could be a little too blunt at times. His aloofness and the way he talked was what made him so lovable to the crowd, he was a showman and never showed fear, never backing down. But the mere thought of confessing to your best friend of over ten years? Nothing could feel even remotely as scary to him. 

On top of this, exploring _that_ word was even more terrifying. He remembers being in grade school, back before he was the celebrity world champion, he was known as the big crybaby, among some worse names boys would throw at him. Some of the boys would make fun of the way he walked, so he made the effort to toughen up so nobody could tell any different. He made the mistake once of telling a boy he thought he was cute... the bullying intensified for the next several weeks after that. Being around girls still wasn't much of a change though, there was that one-time Sonia gave him a peck on the cheek, blushing furiously like a shiny Garados. For her, his feelings of detachment turned out to not be just in her case, but pretty much every girl he had run ins with. Not that he took that as a sign, for the past twelve plus years his life revolved solely around battling. Nothing was more important to him than winning, so the idea of focusing on relationships was a world far away from him. He still went on dates with girls, did things, but nothing ever felt satisfying, or even his kind of normal, whatever that even is. 

Leon huffed and sat for a moment on the edge of the grass, pulling a lemonade out of his bag. Promptly opening it to take a quick chug he stared at the can, feeling nostalgia coming back. It was back then... when he was thirteen, the answer rang out clearly. 

\- 

It was during his gym challenge, he had just spent most of the day training With Charmander and his team and dusk would be approaching soon. He really needed to get back to Motostoke but, couldn't find the right path. It wasn't until three hours of struggle Leon felt tears well up into his eyes, he chastised himself about letting the tears fall, but his lack of direction had gotten him, and his Pokémon lost. His team was worn out so there was no nearby Pokémon center he could take them to to recharge, and to make matters worse he was out of berries. The little thirteen-year-old began to sob semi-loudly, his Charmander standing next to him unsure of how to comfort the boy. 

_"How are we gonna get back? I'm totally lost again Char!"_ He sniffled to Charmander. His mom told him to always be careful in tracing his steps, but he just couldn't help his horrid sense of direction. For Arceus sake he once got lost in a straight corridor. Little Leon sat down and hugged his knees and began sobbing a little louder, the sunset quickly fading. His Pokémon were tired, he was tired, and it was entirely his fault. The tears were now rolling down his cheeks, and he felt so small. 

_"Hey! Are you alright mate?"_ Leon looked up through his tears to see another boy about the same age as him. He wore an orange bandana, and had bright teal eyes, a small Trapinch resting comfortably in his arms. Leon quickly wiped his dripping nose and puffy eyes. 

_"Sorry... m' just lost and don't know my way back to Motostoke."_ He looked at the ground, the shame of another boy seeing him cry washed over him. 

_"Oh, its back down that way. You just have to turn left and follow the trail."_ The boy gestured the direction. 

_"What?! I circled around that way four times and still got lost."_ Leon jumped up, feeling gob smacked. He smacked his face and continued, 

_"I just... I get lost really easy... I was going to set up Camp but I'm all out of berries and my Pokémon need some healing."_ He slumped, the feeling of defeat washed over him, but the blue-eyed boy seemed unbothered. 

_"Oh well, I have some berries, I was actually planning on settin' up round here. You could join me if you want!"_ He smirked, showing off his sharp snaggle tooth. 

_"R-really? Are you sure?"_ Leon startled by the boy's sudden invitation. 

_"Ha-ha yeah, it was a little lonely out tonight anyways. Oh, I'm Raihan by the way, the NEXT champion."_ He put his hands on his hips, giving off a sly smirk. Leon blinked at Raihan's statement then returning his own silly grin. 

_"I'm Leon, and don't be so sure about that! My team is pretty resilient!"_ Raihan and Leon were already getting out their camping gear and Raihan snorted, 

_"Ha-ha, sure, battle me and you'll change your mind!"_ He laughed, and Leon stuck his tongue out at him. Well, this was going a lot better than he hoped! 

Since Leon's team was less than ready for a full battle, the two opted to set up camp. Charmander did the honors of lighting the fire and the two began cooking. The curry sauce was lightly boiling and Leon looked up at the stars, shining brightly now. Suddenly a hand was in his face, Raihan reaching out a lemonade drink. 

_"Thirsty mate? I got an extra one if so."_ Raihan gave a light smile. Feeling giddy, Leon snatched it up, 

_"Sure! Thanks a ton!"_ he replied as he popped the lid and began chugging like a human garbage disposal. Leon brings the can down from his lips and looks up, making direct eye contact with Raihan. The fire is crackling beneath them and Leon stares for a split second at the lighting on Rai's face, the way his teal eyes reflect the dark light against the shine of the fire made his chest stutter for a moment. Raihan paused as well, returning his gaze, unreadable, but looking as if he were staring straight into Leon's soul with those piercing eyes and he feels a shiver travel down his neck. Time felt like it paused for a moment, but in reality, the stare only lasted about two seconds. Raihan turned his headfirst then gave a huff, 

_"Hmp, you better rest up well because in the morning I'm gonna send your team flying!"_ Raihan side-eyed him and gave a sly smirk. _"I've got to add to my winning streak some more before I challenge Kabu, that Charmander looks like a worthy challenge."_ He put his hand on his cheek and sneered. 

_"Oh, you are so on!"_ Leon laughed and playfully punched him in the shoulder, the two laughing. 

The next morning it was a close match, but Leon barely won and Raihan was floored by the defeat. From that moment on they both agreed they would be rivals and Rai promised he would get Lee next time he saw him. 

\- 

Leon chuckled. 

Ten years since then, him and Rai had been the best of friends. Raihan did beat him once during the gym Challange, but Leon made sure it never happened again, maintaining his mantra until present day. Still, the rising problem was deeper than that, in the past few years, things changed. Suddenly it didn't feel like a simple rivalry to him, he wasn't sure what had caused it to evolve past the thought of being just friends, it must have been a slow ache that just got worse over time. He suddenly noticed himself staring at Raihan's photos, much longer than a friend should, eyeing him from head to toe the moment he wasn't looking. Ever since their first encounter and the way Raihan had been nice to him, he felt something weird stewing in him. Perhaps it was that stare that he felt was going to burn a hole back in his skull. Maybe it started then? No girl had ever made him feel like that, at least he never caught a girl who could stare at him like that and make him feel so... he couldn't even describe what the feeling was. What he did know was that the tension of holding it all in and maintaining his cool around Raihan was getting more and more difficult each time he met up with him. Every spar they had was getting increasingly more uncomfortable for Leon, because even during the heat of the battle his eyes began to wonder, focusing less on his Pokémon and more on the trainer. Those little baby mistakes cost him a few Pokémon at times, the distraction sometimes causing some fainted allies. He still maintained the top spot, but now his work ethic was being contaminated by these feelings he was afraid to understand. 

Being in any enclosed space with Raihan started feeling claustrophobic. He felt his hands get clammy, sweating more. Every little thing Raihan did and said, Leon couldn't keep his attention away from. It was only when he was telling Sonia about his issue with the weird space and his heart racing that Sonia after laughing at his stupidity told him flatly: 

_"Dude, you have a crush on him."_ she snickered, eating this drama up. They had chosen to meet up at a cafe in their hometown Postwick. The patio chairs were already uncomfortable, now with Sonia's statement it was unbearable. Leon stared at her, gob smacked and suddenly very nervous, 

_"Wh-what do you mean a cr-cr-crush?! I'm- not-"_ he momentarily paused in the stunned silence Sonia rolled her eyes, 

_"And I'm actually Arceus reborn, Leon have you ever had a crush before? Do you even know how those work?"_ She looked at him incredibly. Him? Have a crush? Before he could say anything, he mulled it over and now he was asking himself: Have I ever had feelings like that before? Then he looked up, 

_"How would I know? I don't think I have... mostly just focused on battles..."_ He murmured the last part. Sonia gave him a look of pity through her cynicism and sighed, 

_"Of course, you haven't, you are usually too off in your own world to really think about that kind of stuff."_ She facepalmed, which didn't help his shrinking confidence. 

_"Lee, it's pretty obvious you've liked him for a while, I think you should tell him."_ she said seriously. 

_"T-tell him?! How in the world could I do something like that?"_ He said flabbergasted. _"I don't even know if he swings that way Sonia, I'm not even sure if I swing that way!"_ Sonia laughed, 

_"Right, because everyone gets blood red in the face, heart racing, and extremely nervous around their best friends anytime they look in their general direction? I'm not the only one who noticed the way you two look at each other."_ She said bluntly. She had noticed him looking at Raihan? Arceus if she did, who else was looking?

The look of fear on Leon's face was immediate, he suddenly felt that rush of anxiety he had from back then. Feeling himself shrink some, he said quietly, 

_"Sonia... I-I don't know. It's really hard to just...talk about _that._ I don't want to go back..."_ He was trembling, the anxiety from before creeping up his back. The usual Mr. Oozing Confidence brought down a notch by an old wound. Sonia looked at him sadly, understanding what he was getting at, and putting a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. She was tender and gently, 

_"Look Lee, I understand, it's never easy to admit feelings, especially the kind people might judge against."_ She paused for second, pondering, Leon didn't meet her gaze, continuing to look at the ground trying to be smaller. She continued, 

_"But believe me when I say, I know Rai wouldn't judge you, I think you're both the best of a pair, and what matters most is having people like him and me who support you 100% and I have no doubts that both of us do."_ She smiled, _"Look at me Lee."_ He slowly met her gaze, still nervous and very scared. She gave him a reassuring smile, _"I mean that Leon, you shouldn't be afraid anymore. You're so much stronger than you realize, and not just in battles."_ He felt his eyes well up, but refused to let them fall, suddenly pulled her into an embrace. He buried his face in her shoulder. 

_"Thanks Sonia, I want to try,"_ His voice shaky, _"But I don't know how."_ Sonia snorted, 

_"God you're such a sweet little cinnamon roll,"_ She pulled back, placing both hands on his shoulders, _"Okay! We will work on this! Let's brainstorm a way to confess!"_ She put her fist in her hand, an elated feeling of positivity washed over her, and she hoped to rub that off to Leon. Leon immediately gave wide eyes and threw his arms up, 

_"Th-that fast?! How in the world would I even tell him about my feelings? I've never confessed to anyone Sonia! Especially not my best friend of ten years! What if this does something to our friendship?"_ He grimaced, _"What if it does something irreversible?"_

Sonia stared at him unamused, _"If your friendship is that fragile, which it is NOT, then it wouldn't matter regardless. I don't think Raihan would do that anyways."_ Okay, she did have a point there. Sonia clapped her hands, 

_"Well Leon, it's not like a confession for your type or choice of person has to be radically different than most people! This isn't Team Rocket Science."_ She said seriously, attempting to stomp out any extra wondering thoughts he may have about that subject. _"Hmm... I guess you could use your talents or connect something you love..."_ She began thinking. _"What's one thing you love more than anything else?"_ Leon was suddenly taken aback and began thinking as well, 

_"I love... Pokémon? I mean, I know I love battling, catching and taking care of Pokémon... I definitely love winning."_ He was lost in thought at what he cared about other than his newest problem. _"I'm good at that... but how can I use that for something like this?"_

Sonia closed her eyes, brainstorming the different ideas, then a lightbulb went off, 

_"Oh my gosh! Of course!"_ She beamed suddenly. _"Okay Leon, what does Raihan love?"_ She grins excitedly, Leon paused and began rattling off ideas. 

_"Uhm... spicy bone curry?"_

_"True but go on."_ She shooed. 

_"Taking...selfies?"_

_"Getting colder."_

_"Double battles?"_

_"A little closer"_

_"Pokémon?"_ He said slightly confused, like he was stating the obvious. Sonia was already getting tired of his aloofness. 

_"What type?"_ She huffed, giving him that knowingly look. Leon's face brightened, 

_"Well that's an easy one, dragon type of course!"_ He said, full of mock confidence for getting something right. Her grin widened, _"Exactly. And it also just so happens, there is a certain dragon-grass type apple Pokémon that would make the perfect confession gift."_ Leon was surprised at her admission, 

_"Oh, what was it called... Applin? Huh..."_ Leon scratched the back of his head, starting to put the pieces together, remembering that one conversation he heard from some of the league staff about how they were getting an Applin to confess their feelings. The little Pokémon was also a dragon type wasn't it? 

It's perfect. _Sickly sweet and highly romantic, but so poetic and thoughtful_ , he thought. Plus gifting a Pokémon would be a perfect buffer, Raihan was such a sucker for cute and tiny baby Pokémon, he practically sent two texts a day gushing over his Goomies, he'd probably lose it over an Applin, which Leon knew he didn't currently have one. Leon felt a sudden surge of confidence at this new revelation, his confident trademark smile came back, and he balled his fists, 

_"And what better than an Applin from the champion himself?"_ He stood from his chair, feeling pumped. _"Sonia, you're a genius!"_

_"That's the spirit buddy! I knew you'd figure it out."_ Sonia leaning back in her chair, feeling proud of herself. 

_"Alright! I'm gonna go look right now!"_ Leon said, tossing a poke ball, releasing Charizard, _"Hey bud, could you lead me to the wild area?"_ His Charizard yawned, and nodded, and he climbed onto her back. _"Wha-already?!"_ Sonia sat up, startled by Leon's sudden initiative. 

_"Thanks Sonia, you've been a champion help!"_ He said with a thumbs up and a wink, Sonia groaned rolling her eyes at his corny line. He immediately flew off on Charizard, as she watched him fly out of of sight Sonia quickly pulled out her phone. 

_"I have got to text Nessa about this..."_

\- 

And now he was here, two and a half hours later, looking for a tiny pokemon just barely bigger than an actual apple. This wasn't the time to overthink things though, Sonia had a very level head and getting her reassurance was enough to renew Leon's confidence, to put forth his skill into getting the best present he could muster. 

Leon turned his head, noticing a flash of red, silently praying it wasn't another Roselia. Suddenly the target he was searching for popped out of the grass, startled from his stalking around its area. An Applin. No time to think, on instinct Leon flicked his wrist skillfully with a quick ball, the sooner he threw it, the higher the success rate. The ball darted a swift diagonal line, the little Applin wasn't expecting the throw and was instantly engulfed into the ball. The ball fell to the ground, paused, wiggled once... 

_Click._

_"YES!"_ Leon jumped for joy, the high of a new catch coursing through his veins. He got lucky this time, with a perfect throw. He immediately walked over to the spot and picked up the Quick ball, grinning ear to ear. His eyes softened as he clutched the ball, a new sense of hope building in him. 

_"You're going to make someone really happy you know."_ he brought the ball up to his cheek, giving a small hug rubbing it on his face. 

His new catch in hand, the easy part was done, the next part made him gulp. 

**How am I going to give this to him?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon collects his thoughts and makes plans to execute his master plan to confess to Raihan.

**An entire two weeks later...**

Finally, back in his flat after a long day of meetings and sponsorships, Leon felt like lead as his back hit the couch cushions. He had been standing nearly all day so the plush pillows made him sigh in contentment. Lazily, he reached down to his belt buckle and grabbed the poke balls and released his team to roam around the house as usual. Charizard popped out, yawned and edged towards the fluffy mat near the open kitchen by the living area. Aegislash calmly floated off to join her for snoozes. 

Usually the entire team opts to laze around at this time of day, Dragapult was already snoozing in midair next to the arm rest, while the little Dreepies floated around it, cooing at Leon from above. He glanced over at Haxorus and Seismitoad, who were arguing over the remote already. 

_"Play nice you two, I'm sure there's something you can both enjoy watching."_ He chided them. Haxorus huffed and Seismitoad flashed him a know it all sneer. Cinderace sat in the corner watching the discourse unfold with amusement. Leon shook his head, 

_"What am I gonna do with you lot?"_ Snorting, he brought his arm to rest on his face as he laid on the couch. Before he could stick his hand fully in his pocket, Rotom whipped out, buzzing and staring at him expectedly. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Rotom and opened Pokegram, and to no surprise, a new post from Raihan earlier that morning. 

A picture of him holding a plate of Poffins from a high selfie angle, showing a swarm of about five Goomies eagerly chirping around his ankles, caption read: 

**Raihan241** _Look who's hungry? Goodra's kiddies are exhausting me but that's just_ **#dadlife. #selfie #picoftheday #classy** 😋😋🤣

He was wearing a simple black tank with his usual gym shorts, along with some Trapinch slip-ons. Leon found himself doing that staring bit again, analyzing every detail of this head and combing him from head to toe with his eyes. That sharp as a tact snaggle tooth was no more a drifter and in line with the rest of his teeth, since he got braces when he was fourteen that helped straighten it out into that perfect smile Leon found himself gushing over. His dreads draped down the left side of his face, the way his Adam's apple and collarbone were being shone off were downright sinful to Leon. He pressed like and groaned again. 

_"Sonia is right... I really am hopeless."_ He groaned, hitting his face with a pillow. Still, her words rang heavy in his mind, that voice of courage was calling out somewhere in the void and he knew he was on borrowed time. This secret endeavor towards Raihan couldn't last forever, he had to tell him one way or another before the black void consumed him, and what's a champion that can't dive headfirst into the action? Leon wearily sat up, leaning his back to the armrest of the couch and opened the chat log. He began typing on instinct, swallowing the feeling of hesitation for that split moment. 

**UltimateCharizard:** _Hey gonna be in Hammerlocke next week, down to clown?_

Leon smacked his face, _"down to clown?"_ He could not have sounded any dumber. He perked up because almost immediately Raihan began typing. 

**DragonLord:** _Shit bro Oleana actually giving you the day off? I'm impressed._

Leon exhaled in relief, he brushed past it at least, he just needed to try his best not to put his foot in his mouth again, thanking whatever God Pokemon that Raihan couldn't see the redness creeping up in his face. He continued typing, 

**UltimateCharizard:** _Hahaaa yeah, it's just one of those lucky magical days, nothing important happening yeah?_

That was total bullshit, he practically begged Oleana for two weeks straight to have a totally clear day. The klink gears were already turning as Leon's master strategist self knew Raihan's schedule almost to a tee and opted to beg for the day he was to have the least amount of work. Sure, guarding a city that never slept and its treasure was monotonous, but even Raihan was bound to have a rest day even if justice never sleeps. Leon's thoughts came back seeing the ellipsis pop up as Raihan typed. 

**DragonLord:** _Well that's coo, I'm down to chill don't got much going on that day surprisingly._

Leon beamed, his master plan was working, and he almost too eagerly typed back. 

**UltimateCharizard:** _Sweet, 3 pm a good meet up time?_

 **Dragonlord:** _yea just fine I actually get off around that time lol_

Perfect timing just as planned. 

**UltimateCharizard:** _Alrighty see you then!_

A breath of relief escaped his mouth as he slumped back into his couch. The time was set, and the intense feeling washed over him, _holy hell_ , he was really going to do this. There's no backing out now, not after the way Sonia was gushing over him. 

Leon stared at the ceiling, his mind already racing, would he be strong enough to go through with this? He pondered. Sure, Sonia had the master intuition, if she thought this could be even a remotely bad idea, she would have advised against it, but he received a full blessing. Leon felt like a pack of Butterfree were raving around in his stomach and that dagger to the chest question evaded his mind. 

_Am I gay?_

_Ouch_ , the simple sentence tore through his brain, instantly stringing his nerves. That was the one word he admitted inwardly made him cringe. Not on other people mind you, but when he contemplated himself in that circle, he could feel his blood pressure rising. If it had been a couple of years ago, he wouldn't have even dared to allude to it with Sonia, he would have continued bottling and hiding any ounce or possibility of him being... _that._ The pit of shame and fear of rejection was creeping behind him, but he remembers Sonia's words ringing out to him: 

**"You shouldn't be afraid anymore. You're so much stronger than you realize, and not just in battles."**

Leon had liked girls at times, there had to be a silver lining in everything. Sure, he found Sonia cute back then, it's just when she held his hand and gave him that peck on the cheek when they were eleven, he found himself feeling fond of her but... that's where it stopped. Nothing past that, no warm feelings or the threat of cooties phased him much. He continued to be some level of gentle towards women, but when it came to romance and intimacy, there was one major red flag standing out: _he didn't enjoy it._ None of those experiences were particularly harsh either, he just felt a strong sense of detachment and confusion from it. Leon felt flattered that someone could feel those types of feelings for him, he was grateful for that. Still, it all ended the same, with him offing the relationship before the flames could kindle because of his guilt in not reciprocating. For Raihan however, it felt like sparks going off the tracks as the cart flew off a cliff. Nobody had ever him feel like melting from just a simple stare, yet everytime Raihan gave him that piercing look, Leon felt like he would combust.

She's right, he shouldn't be afraid... but he is. 

The media certainly didn't help with all the evasive emotions, whenever he so much as breathed in the direction of anyone, those shitty reporters would drag out dozens of articles contemplating on who the big bad champion was giving goo-goo eyes for. Hell, there was a ten-thousand-word article that was dedicated to that one time he was accidently looking at Nessa's ass. Funny enough he didn't even remember that one or even staring, citing that more than likely the photographer had been at the right place at the right time. The article went on so many conspiracies about how Nessa and him were secretly together and hiding it from the public, this garnered enough harassment that both Nessa and him had to release a public statement, debunking the article. On top of this there were hundreds of other articles solely based on Leon and relationships, not to mention the several he ran across talking about Raihan and him. He couldn't bring himself to read past a couple of them, that fed the fire way too much and his face instantly became a tomato with the shame of wanting to live some of these fantasies' journalists gushed over. 

Phasing through the wall behind his head, a small Dreepy chirped happily for his attention. He smiled and stuck his hand up, giving it a small scratch behind its ears. The Dreepy chimed with glee, switching to playing with Leon's hand and phasing through it. _Adorable as always..._ ah, that reminded him. He reached over to his bag next to the other armrest and pulled out that quick ball, immediately releasing Applin. The little apple paused and looked around at its surroundings before eyeing the giant Haxorus and Seismitoad leering at it. It instantly went from confusion to frightened by the foreign place and much bigger Pokémon, whimpering and shaking like a leaf. 

_"Hey, hey! It's okay little guy!"_ Leon going quickly for damage control and gently reached down to pick up the trembling Pokémon. It flinched on instinct, but the gentle words eased it enough to allow itself to be picked up. Leon cradled the frightened worm Pokémon in his lap, scratching behind the underside of its back. Feeling a little safe, the Pokémon relaxed some, enjoying the security of the much bigger body, leaning into his touch. 

Leon smiled softly, yes... no fully straight person would go through the lengths he was currently going through these past two weeks. The words reflected from Sonia in his brain once again, and maybe... it was just time to face the facts. He was... crushing hard for a guy. Deep down he already knew the truth, moments like these were one of the few things other than battling that felt balanced in his life but swallowing a tough pill like that was no easy feat. 

He had to do this, especially for himself, if he wimped out that inner demon would just continue to fester until it ate Leon up. Being able to admit and say his peace aloud to someone he really trusted could give him closure, he pondered. Even if Raihan didn't feel the same, Sonia was convincing that he would always have him as a friend, someone to trust... he told himself in an effort to relieve the possibility of rejection. 

His plan was already unfolding, and he already had ideas about planning out his game, he would meet with Raihan, take him out to dinner and spend some quality time around town. Then, when the sun starts setting, he'll bring him to a secluded place, present the Applin and spill his guts. Simple, and straightforward to victory, just how he liked his battles. In this case, he certainly didn't want to go too extravagant to the point it made Raihan uncomfortable and a relaxed, slow-paced atmosphere would help sate his nerves. True, he was a showman until the end, but he wanted to guarantee Raihan would have a good time regardless of the result. 

Being lost in his thoughts while petting the little Applin, it looked up and chirped at him, releasing him from his world. Leon snorted, if all else failed he could just play it cool and say something like, _Oh! I saw this little bugger the other day and remembered how much you love dragon Pokémon and thought wow, this would make a nice present, not because I'm totally in love with you or this is a confession, just two dudes being dudes._

He brought his hands away from the little Pokémon and up to his face, groaning. Arceus this was going to be harder than that time he went searching for a Feebas, 

The Rotom phone that had been quietly hovering near his head suddenly pinged, another new post from Raihan. Leon opened the post and nearly choked on his breath, clearly intended as some fanservice for the fangirls, it was Raihan shirtless with a towel draped over his neck, sand kicked up in the background from what looks like another one of his training sessions. Raihan is drenched in sweat, flashing that trademark grin and his eyebrow raised into that classic sneer. 

**Raihan241** _Just got finished training, getting good and ready to send a certain someone flying next week!_ **#training #workout #championtime** 😜😜🤩 

_Oh,_ sweet Arceus he was doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thats a wrap on that chapter. Starting to feel a little more confident in writing, it's still baby steps but I'm gonna work to make the next chapter a lot longer, hopefully the final chapter if I don't continue these endless monologues
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Leon stared intensely at the double-sided sign. 

It felt like a sense of Deja vu, but he was pretty sure he had passed this exact same sign at least three times already. Despite visiting Hammerlocke more than several dozen times, here he was, lost and just as confused as if the town were new all over again. He tried to follow the signs and the neighborhood, but all the apartment complexes looked virtually the same and he could not tell if they were the same set he was circling around, or an entirely different one. Surely finding the giant castle in the center of town couldn't be this difficult. Well, for the unbeatable champion it was like taking calculus.

Now, here he was, dressed in his quote-on-quote _'disguise'_ , a pair of orange joggers, a simple white tee-shirt, hair pulled back in a ponytail again with a black snapback that complimented his jogging shoes. His team rested firmly in a belt that stretched down to his right thigh, resting securely should he need to get Charizard out for directions. Still, he was very stubborn, often causing himself to be late for things by the sheer willpower of wanting to navigate himself to places. That usually was as successful as it sounds, or translation: _very unsuccessful._

_"Is it left, or right?"_ He mumbled out loud, looking down at his Rotom phone he sheepishly had to ask for directions, to which he still was unable to decipher. His eyes were staring with extreme focus that he didn't even notice someone walking up behind him. 

_"Damn bro, you've been to Hammerlocke how many times now? And you still can't find the stadium?"_ The sudden voice startled him out of his thought session as he turned to see the man of the hour, Raihan, staring at him in amusement. He too was dressed down for their meetup, wearing a baggy white tee-shirt, black joggers, and orange and black sneakers. He wasn't even wearing his signature bandana. His words then sunk in after the wave of surprise washed over Leon and he huffed in an offended tone at him, 

_"Hey gimme a break! Why do all the streets have to look the same anyways?"_ crossing his arms turning his head away from Raihan, _"Since you're all high and mighty being the great Raihan and all, you should talk to them about getting these streets color coded cus it's easy to get lost when you can’t differentiate them."_ he stuck out his tongue. Last time they hung out, Leon got lost for over an hour past the time they were supposed to meet up, and he's pretty certain that Raihan only found him because his ridiculous cape made him stick out like a sore thumb. But today wasn't going to be a simple hangout, it was going to be different, _much different._ This didn't stop Leon from giving him the biggest pout at the dragon's comments. 

Raihan gave a hearty laugh, already thoroughly entertained by the Champion's antics, a glint appeared in his eye and took a step closer, 

_"Aw, poor little princess."_ He gleamed, _"But then I couldn't watch you struggle, could I? How else would I have something to one up on you?"_ He sneered, giving Leon a shit-eating grin. 

Leon felt goosebumps prickle on the back of his neck, and he made certain to keep up his usual facade as Raihan continued, 

_"Oi, I will give you credit though, you were semi close to the stadium, a whole two blocks away,"_ He laughed, _"That's far better than some of the previous times."_ He took another step closer to Leon, coming about two inches from what Leon would consider his danger bubble in personal space, Raihan's expression mellowed out, 

_"But now that saves me the trouble of spending an additional hour searching for you, so what would you wanna do first?”_ raising his arms up and resting his hands behind his head, making himself look a little bigger in a state of relaxation. Leon already lost the battle of eye contact and poked his face in mock amusement, 

_"I was going to see if you were down to battle or eat first,"_ He squinted his eyes vengefully, _"I'm not sure if you wanna lose on an empty stomach though."_ raising his hand to his mouth to suppress his snicker. Raihan was already taking the bait, 

_"Hoooo yeah? Well I guess I'm just gonna have to make you eat those words, metaphorically and literally."_ Raihan had almost entirely closed the gap of personal space between them, hands on his hips and lowering his taller form down to Leon's face, his expression spiteful. He was now looking directly in Leon's face, that all too familiar and intense look in his eyes and smirk... _Okay, keep it together Leon,_ stabbed the thought in his head and put all his focus into not turning red. Quickly, he diverted back to the original subject, 

_"I was thinking of changing the stakes a little this time too,"_ He blurted out, slightly shaky if you were squinting. Raihan's interested piqued and he tilted his head, 

_"Oh yeah? How are you gonna do that,_ **Champ?"** Leon beamed, 

_"I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice if we instead did it YOUR way,"_ He clapped his hands, _"With doubles instead?"_ This idea made Raihan's face instantly light up and he clicked his tongue, 

_"Wellhell, aren't you full of great ideas today! I can't say no to something like that!"_ Raihan then closed that precious space gap and wrapped his left arm across Leon's shoulders pointing off in a direction. It took everything in that exact moment for Leon to not yelp at the sudden touch he was not diligently prepared for, 

_"Let's head back to the stadium, we'll have a proper battle there eh? As usual I'll lead us there."_ he flashed a grin at Leon, a bead of sweat followed down the back of his neck, as they started walking, Leon took a deep mental breath. 

\- 

The stadium felt a lot emptier when it wasn't jammed packed with screaming masses. That wasn't necessarily bad though, a nice private battle in such a beautiful arena had to be one of Leon's favorite rewards of being friends with the gym leaders. He always liked the layout and setup of Raihan's stadium best though, it was regal and finely crafted, not that the other places weren't as good mind you, but it was, well... _Raihan's arena._

_"Aight,"_ Leon jumped out of his trance as Raihan was stretching and began speaking, 

_"If we are going for the doubles, you know I don't use a sixth partner. So, to balance the playing field I say we use a maximum of four. "_ He stated. Leon nodded, 

_"Of course, that sounds more than fair, I can take anything you throw at me!"_ Leon oozing positivity, this was his number one talent after all. 

_"Hmph, we'll see about that."_ Raihan sneered, _"If you're so confident this time, how bout we begin,_ **Champ?"** There was his nickname again, Leon nodded shakily, and they turned their backs towards each other, initiating the usual trainer walk. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Raihan gesturing to his Rotom, likely to start streaming. They both turned and faced each other at the same time, without hesitation, Leon acted first, 

He flung out his first two, Seismitoad and Dragapult. Raihan followed suit, sending out his Torkoal and Flygon, Torkoal’s drought ability instantly warped the weather around them to intense sunlight as it bared down on both. Leon felt himself already beginning to sweat. 

_Bad matchup though_ , Leon's smirk was cocky, _"Seismitoad, liquidation!”_ The toad was already a hair faster and sending a full-force blast of water at the turtle, instantly weakening it. The Torkoal took the hit though and Raihan grinned wildly, 

_"Torkoal, use solarbeam!"_ He shouted, and the turtle Pokémon quickly began absorbing light, only to send out an immediate blast from the power of the sunlight. The beam hit Seismitoad dead on and caused a one hit-KO. Leon was stunned and yelled out flabbergasted as he reached for his next Pokémon, 

_"Solarbeam?! When did you teach him that?!"_ Leon shouted in surprise as he then tossed out his Haxorus, Raihan laughed, 

_"Didn't you read my Pokegram? I've been preparing for this little tizzy princess, Torkoal, hit em' with lava Plume, and Flygon, stream us up a sandstorm!"_ Raihan of course wasn't satisfied with keeping the weather still for long, and the smaller Pokémon sent an inferno of scarlet flames over the dragon, it quickly burst out of the pillar of heat, While the moment was still open, Leon called out, 

_"Thunderbolt, and Hax use Outrage!"_ Leon shouted, the strong electric blast crashed down on its target, knocking out the Torkoal. Raihan immediately sent out Goodra right after it. The whole ensemble was purely a dragon fight now, _“Dragon breath!"_ Leon chanted, Dragpult sending off its incredible gust of breath, hitting Flygon, leaving it partially stunned with paralysis. Raihan wasn't throwing in the towel yet though, 

_"Flygon, crunch!"_ The Pokémon powered through and flash over to the Dragpult before it could react and chomped down on its back, _hard._ The ghost dragon shrieked at the painful bite, nearly downed by a critical hit. Leon had to act fast, 

_"Dragapult, use shadow ball while he's attached!"_ The Pokémon heeded his command and blasted the still attached Flygon with the black blob hitting it directly in the face. Flygon was instantly floored and hit the ground, not having the strength left to get up from that one. In that same instant, Dragapult fell to the ground as well, the sandstorm knocking it to its limit. During that time, Haxorus had been pummeling Goodra with outrage, 

_"Sludgebomb!"_ The Goodra hurled the filthy gunk as Haxorus charged straight through the attack, ignoring the pain of the poison inflicted on it and hitting the slimy Pokémon head on. The hit sent Goodra flying back a few feet, but she withstood it, just barely enough to stand. _She won't last another hit though_ , Raihan thought, but no time to think about defense, 

_"Goodra, hang on and use Hydro Pump!"_ The Haxorus already charging towards Goodra again without mercy in its rampage, Goodra in the split second blasted intense water pressured at the Haxorus, yet again bursting through the attack and hitting Goodra, effectively knocking her out. Leon cheered, 

_"Nice work Hax!"_ but as quickly as his praise was received, the Haxorus fell over, the wear and tear of those last two hits, poisoning, and the sandstorm overwhelming the dragon. 

They were down to their last Pokémon, at the same time. Leon took a quick deep breath and sent out Charizard, and Raihan respectively his Duraludon. 

This was always his favorite part, Raihan hitting first and starting up his Gigantamax, although this time he didn't do the usual selfie but instead looked over at Leon and gave a wink, before tossing the ball, sending out the Gigantamaxed Duraludon. Leon gulped hard, no doubt feeling that bright redness casting over his face and did the same, tossing the ball but turned and immediately dead set on Raihan himself. He felt more than fired up, his whole back drenched in sweat as he felt the adrenaline of the last wing crawling up his spine. It was absolutely electrifying as he cried out, 

_"Charizard, G-Max wildfire!"_ The Charizard 's fiery wings glow a bright red and yellow as it fired a giant phoenix flame from its back at Duraludon. The move hit directly, swarming the field in heat with bursts of flame. Leon continued his eye contact with Raihan, no doubt he was really into the battle, grinning wildly, fists balled and practically jumping up and down from the energy rush, he countered, 

_"We aren't done just yet, Duraludon Max Rockfall!"_ He waved his hand and Duraludon slammed its arms into the ground, causing a giant stone slab to rise from the ground, and the mass slammed down on Leon's Charizard. The force of the ground immediately reinvigorated the dwindling sandstorm back at full strength. The hit was super effective, but Charizard was still standing despite it, Leon knew this was his last chance, with all the energy and confidence Leon could shout he called out, 

_"Charizard, give it everything you got, Max Airstream!"_ The Charizard roared and gathered all her last remaining strength and sent out a tornado of wind at Duraludon, effectively nailing a critical hit. The move was just enough to blast Duraludon out of its giant form which immediately erupted and started shrinking. 

Sweat was pouring rapidly down the sides of his face, neck, and back. Panting hard, Leon had won as usual, although this time, it was closer than any of the previous times. Way too close for his comfort and despite this revelation, his eyes were deadest Raihan, who slumped over but was still coming down from the battle high. Perhaps it was still the adrenaline coursing through his veins, but Leon started jogging over to Raihan. Still heavily out of breath, Raihan lifted up, bringing his hands behind his head and sighed, the disappointment of another loss washed over him. That didn't last long though because he immediately burst out laughing, 

_"Ohoho, that was a close one yeah? Now that was a real battle and it was awesome!"_ He said through his laughter, Leon giggled back and resorted to praise, 

_"I'll say! You floored me when that Torkoal whipped out a solar beam. A solar beam?! I didn't even know it could learn that kind of move!"_ Raihan continued his boisterous laughter as he shooed his hand, 

_"Well, the unbeatable champion’s greatest Rival has to keep him on his toes somehow! I thought you'd be surprised but the look on your face was absolutely priceless!"_

Raihan was too distracted by the humor in it all, laughing to himself, Leon suddenly realized he was now doing it again on instinct. His eyes were sizing Raihan up and down, he couldn't stop staring at him in awe. This was his rival, his best friend. The one person who had been with him since the beginning, diligently keeping him on his toes, and lifting him up everywhere he went. There was no doubt his face had to be red with the intense warmth sitting in his face, but it was that post battle high that had him staring so intently because suddenly, Raihan noticed. He went silent for a moment, the two directly staring at each other for an awkward couple of seconds. Leon was staring directly into his eyes again, he had that intense, same unreadable expression. Raihan licked his chapped lips,

 _"You alright mate? You look pretty tired out,"_ Raihan raised a brow.

 _Oh._

Leon shook himself out of it, and chuckled, raising his hand to scratch the back of his head. 

_"Sorry, I guess you did succeed in tiring me out. "_ he said sheepishly, now that the high was coming down, he remembered his ulterior motive and decided to move to the next phase. He had practiced beforehand, but that didn't stop the statement from coming out a little shaky, 

_"So uh, about that empty stomach,"_ The mere mention of food perked Raihan up, _"What say we head back to your place and r-relax? I'll order that bone curry you love so much, totally my treat!"_ He said sheepishly, the execution wasn't flawless, but Leon gave the biggest smile he could muster. Raihan gave a small smile and nodded, 

_"You had me at bone curry! Hell yes!"_ Raihan slapped a hand on Leon's back. He was being awfully touchy today. _"Let's get our Pokémon fixed up, then we can fly back.”_ Wait what? _"Fly back?"_ Leon said incredibly. Raihan had already whipped out a max revive and released Flygon from its ball, 

_"Ha-ha, yeah, I'm not going to waste money on a taxi, plus the sun will set soon and I love flying around that time."_ The dragon was weak from the battle and Raihan bent down and carefully put the medicine in his mouth, massaging its jaw to encourage chewing. Instantly, Flygon perked back up, feeling much better. Leon was gob smacked, _Flying?_ That Pokémon was barely big enough for Raihan alone. With his arms wrapped around... _oh Arceus._ He felt his face instantly become as red as a shiny Garados and lost his cool facade, 

_"Fl-fly?! On that little g-guy? Y-you sure about that?"_ Raihan chuckled, 

_"He's not little and yeah mate, it will be way faster than waiting on a taxi..."_ a mischievous glint suddenly appeared in his eyes as he looked down at Leon, _"Unless... you're a scared little Torchic?"_ Oh, now that was a challenge, and if anyone fell for that kind of bait, it was most certainly Leon. His spooked state immediately became replaced by indignation, 

_"What?! I-I'm not scared of anything!"_ He huffed in defiance, _" L-lets go then, oh mighty dragon!"_ Leon began walking towards the elevator, forgetting that less than ten seconds ago he was just blushing like a schoolgirl. 

Slightly out of earshot, Raihan tsk'd. 

_"Too easy."_ That impish expression in his eyes showing full force, this night might just go exactly the way he wanted it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I wasn't planning on the battle being so drawn out, I tried to write it quickly but with enough detail that it didn't feel rushed? Either way, the next chapter will be the last one and it may get... spicy. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment of truth! Will his confession be accepted or will Raihan flat out reject his ass? Find out today on Dragon's ball p.

They opted to take the elevator to the top platform of Hammerlocke Stadium. The sky had already become a rich mix of orange and reds as the sun started setting. Raihan lead them up the stairs, his back to Leon. 

The warm light casted over Raihan, _orange was definitely his color,_ he thought. Staring for the millionth time, Leon could feel those Butterfree swirling in his stomach again. Raihan was distracted with getting gear out of his bag to put on Flygon to help aid the ride. 

_Here's my chance...be strong._ He swallowed, eyes traveling down the back of Raihan's head, observing every angle. He just had to keep cool until he could say his peace, his hand hovered over the single quick ball resting on his waist. His fist clenched, and he paused, glancing up at the sky. The sunset was breath-taking, they could see the entire city from up here, and he felt a wave of nostalgia rush over him. It looked like that day, back then when they first met. But now, here they were, all grown up. Raihan was comforting his Pokémon, looking like he was about finished dressing Flygon up. 

This place, the sky, the seclusion... it's now or never. Leon gulped as Raihan turned around flashing him a grin, 

_"I think that about does it, you ready mate?"_ Trembling all over, Leon forced out, 

_"W-wait!"_ Raihan raised his brow and tilted his head at him, _"Be-before we go, I actually have something for you."_ Leon stepped closer, now only about two feet away from Raihan. Before he could respond, Leon grabbed the quick ball, hand shaking like a leaf, extending his arm out. Forget the poker face, Leon knew he was blushing furiously, feeling all the blood rushing to his head. 

_"Oh shite, buying me dinner and a present too?"_ Raihan chimed happily, reaching out and taking the ball from his hands. Before clicking the release button Raihan squinted his eyes at the other, 

_"I swear if this is another Charmander I'm gonna kick your ass."_ Leon was sweating already but let out a nervous laugh, 

_"Charmander? N-nah mate, I know you still go mad over the whole dragon-type conspiracy."_ He brought his hand up and scratched the back of his neck to quell his fidgeting. Raihan snorted and pointed to Leon with his cavalier squint. 

_"You best believe that! Fire and flying in its normal state? How can it ONLY be a dragon type through mega evolution?! Absolute heresy if you ask me!"_ He was about to go off on a tangent, Leon nodded, his impatience to just get this over with and get rejected and die was nagging his brain, 

_"Well, it's no Charmander so why don't you just let him out?"_ He said, averting his gaze and running his hand through his ponytail. Raihan clicked his teeth and pressed the release button. The ball lit up and was replaced by the little apple Pokémon. Raihan's eyes widened, 

_"Hey! It's an Applin! These little guys are pretty uncommon!"_ the Pokémon looked up at him expectedly and chirped, Raihan reached his free hand to his mouth, examining the creature. Leon tried to remain cool, 

_"Y-yeah, I know how much you love dragon types, and this little guy just seemed too perfect to pass up."_ Shit, that's not a confession. He was studying the Pokémon intently, the Applin trilled at him and he gently reach down and rubbed behind its leaf eyes. 

_"That's..."_ he paused. Leon said nothing, his determination refusing to let him look away. 

_Then it clicked._

Raihan's eyes widened a bit, and he slowly brought his gaze away from the worm and directly into Leon's. They locked eyes and he stared at him for a good five seconds of torturous silence, slowly finding his words. 

_"And you got this for me?"_ He stared, unreadable in his expression, _"I know you can be a bit ditzy at times Lee, but you do know what this implies right?"_ Ugh... here it comes, he thought. He was about to get shunned, but he had to see it through, go big or go home. Raihan bent down and sat the Applin next to Flygon and the two started checking each other out, Raihan's gaze never left him. Leon swallowed, 

_"Yes. I know exactly what it means."_ Raihan didn't move for a second, instead it looked like his breath hitched, he stared at Leon with saucer eyes. Leon continued, 

_"Look, I-I know we've been friends for such a long time, I appreciate our dynamic, but I can't keep bottling these things up, and I don't expect you to feel the same way, I've prayed that this wouldn't hurt our friendship, somehow I just had to-"_ he didn't get the chance to finish before he could blink Raihan had instantly closed the gap, smashing lips against his. His hands viscously grabbed Leon's waist, pulling him closer in a vice grip. 

The kiss was almost bruising, Raihan's breath was hot and Leon was stunned by the sudden aggression, opening his mouth in shock to be immediately rewarded with Raihan shoving his tongue in. After that moment of awe Leon blinked, then closed his eyes, melting into the kiss, experimentally wrapping his tongue around Raihan's in response, then dragging his tongue across his teeth, groaning into it. His lips were so soft despite being a little chapped and comfortably warm. Leon forgot to breathe in that moment and started to feel a little dizzy, pulling back slightly, a trail of saliva still connecting them as Raihan looked down at him intently. 

_"Bout fucking time."_ Raihan said panting, his eyes dark and clearly full of lust. He eyed the heaving Champion like he was sizing him up. The feeling of a predator watching its prey made Leon shudder as he stared back. 

_"W-wait, you mean you DO-"_

_"Sweet fucking Arceus Leon of course I do!"_ Raihan's sudden admission caught Leon of guard as his hands moved towards his back, pulling him in even closer _"I've been trying to get your attention for who knows how long, I just couldn't tell if you felt the same!"_ The sexual frustration leaking through his words. 

Leon felt like a Psyduck who's head was about to explode from the flow of information, he felt like mentally smacking himself. Of course, Sonia gave him the go-light, she probably knew how Raihan felt way before-hand. The signs should have been obvious, the intense stares, the way Raihan would egg at him, that was flirting this whole time. He just let his lowered self-worth convince him it was normal rival banter. Raihan cleared his throat in an attempt to swallow his own excitement, 

_"You know, this rooftop is very romantic, and while I find you irresistibly sexy right now,"_ his thumbs casually rubbing slow circles on Leon's hips, 

_"How's about we head back to my place and unwind a little better?"_ he growled in a deep voice oozing with hunger. Leon couldn't find his words, instead he chose to just stupidly nod. Raihan snorted and whistled at Flygon, who was already buddying up to the little Applin. Raihan broke the contact and strolled over to Flygon, returning the Apple to its ball. He hopped on and offered his hand out. 

_"Ready,_ **Champ?"**

Leon ignored that shiver down his spine and grabbed his hand firmly, quickly joining on Flygon behind him. He grabbed both of Leon's hands and wrapped them firmly around his waist, chuckling darkly, 

_"Hold on tight princess."_ the Pokémon then took off in an instant, the sudden force causing Leon to yelp as his instincts made him clamp onto Raihan almost as hard as he could muster, hugging his abdomen. The wave of embarrassment at holding his rival so close made him feel like his face was about to burn off, Raihan snickered and they headed off through the twilight sky. 

\- 

As it would turn out, Raihan did not actually live in the stadium, a power plant couldn't function as a living space, and Raihan lived in a comfortable condominium on the west side of Hammerlocke. It also added to the convenience of work considering it put Raihan closest to the vault in case of an emergency. The two walked up the spiral stairs towards the top floor in silence, tension weighing thick in the air. Leon had only visited Raihan's place once before, back when they went on some trainer conference and had to stop by for him to pick up some stuff before the plane ride. They approached the door and Raihan fumbled with his keys, opening the creaking door, Leon silently trailing after him. 

The instant the door shut Leon didn't have a millisecond to react to Raihan slamming his back against it, nearly knocking the wind out of him as the taller giant crushed his lips against his. Raihan's hand wrapped around his waist, the other coming up to cradle his jaw, yanking him until there was no gap between the two bodies. Leon had make-out sessions with girls before, but this was on an entirely different level. He felt like every square inch of his body was melting and dissolving into his best friend. The lack of distance left nothing hidden, he smelled like spearmint and pine and it was the most delicious smell he could ever imagine. He was also pretty sure Raihan might have left the TV in the other room on as he noticed muffled music playing in the background. Raihan slipped his tongue inside of his mouth, passionate and demanding, this was nothing like Leon had ever experienced with anyone. Eyes closed, his hands lifted, up to his face, fingers gripping his hair, pulling at him. 

He feels him-all of him- pressed firm. Raihan's hands roaming everywhere, every touch, every motion has Leon feeling like his body was on fire as he let out a gasp from all the stimulation. Raihan pulls back an inch, grinding against the champion, 

_"God you're so fucking sexy, you know that right?"_ he growled in his ear, Leon practically felt like putty, _"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."_

Leon blinked at him. 

_"R-really?"_

_"Shit Lee, you have no idea how hard it is keeping myself contained around you, ‘specially when you wear those ridiculous leggings."_ His tone was heavy with sexual aggression, and Leon felt himself eating up the compliments. Raihan's right hand creeped up under his shirt, other thumb rubbing over his abdomen. Then he went in, nipping harshly at his neck, his breath hitching as he choked on his sudden air intake. 

_"Just wanna yank off all your clothes,"_ he's mumbling between nips, _"Have my way with you, make you scream."_ He bites and rubs his tongue brutally right above Leon's jugular vein. That was enough to ellicit an aroused groan from Leon. 

Things were escalating quickly, and the metal door wasn't the most comfortable spot. He nudged Raihan back to get a dazed look between breaths and he sheepishly mumbled, "Couch." Raihan grunted and grabbed Leon's wrist, pulling him through the hallway and into the living room. As predicted, the TV was still left on and playing some sports channel, but their attention couldn't be farther from it. 

Feeling a little more uppity, Leon pushed Raihan onto the couch, quickly hopping on to straddle him. They promptly resumed their make out session, Raihan hands brushed the upper part of Leon's legs, rubbing and soaking up the contact, traveling higher. Leon groaned when Raihan squeezed his ass with both hands, then bringing his face back to the champion's neck, littering it with hickeys. The continued stimulation and touches had him groaning, at this point they were both gone from the high and Leon watched Raihan's face through his panting, another genius idea appeared in his mind to add to his master plan. Leon parted and pulled back off Raihan, sinking down and kneeling in between his legs. He brought his hands on each adjacent hip and looked up at him expectedly. 

_"Is this moving too fast?"_ Leon muttered in an attempt to be considerate. Raihan's pupils were blown and he snorted, 

_"Baby, feels almost not fast enough."_ he growled, bringing his hand up, flicking his snapback off and running his fingers through his ponytail. He grunts when his fingers curl and he gave a firm tug, clearly an addition he was enjoying on the champion. Leon sucked in a breath, this more dominating side to the leader was really making his blood rush, south specifically, and he looked forward noticing the same could be said for the dragon tamer. 

_"How's about you quit teasing and get to it?"_ The impatience seeped into his voice as he gave a playful smile. Leon bites his lip, pretty sure his face was as red as a Centiskorch, it certainly burned as fiercely as one. He bashfully reached over and started palming Raihan's crotch, which earned an immediate moan from Raihan, sighing at the contact. 

_Oh._

Through the thin fabric its crystal clear how much Raihan is straining through those joggers. He's hard, fuck, he's hard as a boulder, Leon felt like he was going to chew through his bottom lip. Raihan's hand stiffened with his grip on his hair as Leon tugged on the waistband, lifting his hips and pulling them down below his thighs. His leaking cock sprung out and Leon gulped at the sight. 

_Guess that rule about shoe size applies to him,_ he briefly reflected and started stroking the thickness with his hand, testing the waters. Unsure of how to begin he glanced up at Raihan, biting his bottom lip with that sharp tooth as he ran his fingers through Leon's hair. He leaned forward and licked experimentally on the slit, the bitter, salty taste of pre hit his tongue as he dragged it down to the base of the shaft and back up near the head. 

This was his first sexual encounter with a guy at least, but he knew what made him feel good, so he decided to use that for reference. He flicked his tongue lightly in the nook just beneath the head, glancing up to check Raihan's expression. He swallowed dryly, an expression of bliss ran across his face, still making that intense eye contact with him. It seemed encouraging so he dipped his head surveying how much he could fit at first with his tongue swirling in small circles. Checking up he saw Raihan's lips part and he let out a soft, barely audible noise. Suddenly Leon realized he wanted to see what other noises he could get out of Raihan, and at this point he seemed to be aching for anything. 

Leon lowered his mouth even further, taking in as much as he could without warning until he felt an intense feeling in the back of his throat. That established his limit, and he began bobbing up and down the shaft, what he lacked in experience he was swiftly making up in enthusiasm. 

_"Don't forget to breathe."_ Raihan forced out, straining. He had a point because Leon realized he had forgot inhale through his nose and took a moment. He drew in a couple breathes and continued, hollowing his cheeks and moving a little smoother with the speed. This elicited more noises from Raihan, the gym leader now becoming a quivering, horny mess at the expense of his mouth and Leon craved more. All noises Raihan was making were foreign, completely outside of any sound Leon had ever heard from his rival, and he desperately needed to get more. Raihan gave out a shaky chuckle through the intensity, 

_"Damn baby, "_ panting while his lip trembled, _"I-I knew that mouth was good for more than just talking... hah..."_ he chuckled on labored breath, closing his eyes and soaked up the feeling. 

Leon snorted and hummed, _well he still has enough brain power for snide comments,_ so he decided he needed to up the ante and dipped his head further. The feeling was distressing to say the least, but he willed himself not to gag and brought more of the shaft in his mouth, nearly at the base, head hitting the back of his throat. The stretch was borderline unbearable, but Leon wasn't exactly the kind of guy to be detoured from struggle and his determination had him hasten up, choking here and there but focused on the task at hand. He continued sucking, making swallowing motions with his throat and pushing his tongue as much as the muscle would allow over the vein on the base of the shaft, dragging harsh circles. Raihan's eyes screwed shut and he was subconsciously pushing the champion's head down. His breath had gone ragged, a deep flush across his face and down his neck as a bead of sweat fell down his forehead. 

Raihan's body was tensing up more and Leon only quickened his pace, his hand pulling down, gripping the bottom of the shaft while his other hand massaged his balls. Whether it was a whole two minutes or thirty seconds, he wasn't entirely sure when suddenly Raihan grabbed a fistful of Leon's hair and slammed his head down on his cock, cumming hard in his mouth. The sudden force almost made Leon gag, but he continued to wring out the strings of cum and stiffly swallowed. It was salty like the pre from earlier, but the texture was a little more than an acquired taste. Raihan collapsed his head back, heaving and trying to catch his breath. 

He brought his arm up and wiped the sweat off his forehead, finally finding his words, 

_"Whew... wasn't expectin' you to do all this."_ He gave a chuckle and looked down at his rival who had wrapped an arm around Raihan's waist, leaning his head against his thigh. Leon returned with an innocent smile, feeling content as he started tracing a finger on the adjacent thigh, 

_"I wanted everything to be perfect, I'm not sure how well I did though."_ he said sheepishly, a light blush dusting his face. Still, they hadn't discussed the Copperajah in the room and he looked up, 

_"So, uh... about the Applin..."_ Raihan peeked through his arm and gave a small grin, 

_"You know, I don't know how effective he could be against some of my weather tactics, but I bet it would complement Torkoal's ability pretty well!"_ while that was a nice thought, it wasn't what Leon was getting at and he puffed a little, 

_"Yeah... but what about you and me? Are we...?"_ his hand held the thigh more firmly, _"Do you accept... you know, the confession?"_ he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the possible news that no he did not, and this was just a quickie. A hand reached down and cupped his jaw and he reopened his eyes, Raihan gave him a look up bewilderment, 

_"Uhh... duh? I figured that was pretty clear when I invited you back here you dork. "_ He then started snickering and Leon gave him a huge pout, which in turn fed his laughter even more. His laughter slowed and his eyes softened, giving a small smile, 

_"I've been pining over you forever Lee, this is pretty much everything I could have hoped for."_ Leon felt his eyes water, all his efforts had paid off, and he let out a sigh of relief. 

_"Sooo uh, we're dating now?"_ might as well ask. Raihan seemed chill, 

_"I'm down as long as you are. I might be a socialite, but I'd recommend keeping us on the down low for a while."_ The mere mention of the word _'us'_ had his heart fluttering, Raihan gave a sly smile, _"Unless you want another couple hundred articles about our scandalous relationship blowing up the internet."_ Leon was already crawling back on the couch as his rival adjusted his joggers. 

_"Wait, don't tell me you actually read them?!"_ Raihan laughed while rolling his eyes, 

_"Uh, duh! Anything centering around me automatically grabs my interest."_ He said full of mock-arrogance, _"Plus, I might secretly get off on some of the articles talking about you and me."_ Leon choked on his breath, 

_"Hahaaa... me too."_ he was already leaning in cuddling, Raihan dragged his eyes downward, 

_"Speaking of 'getting off', I think it's time I return the favor ol' Champ."_ noting the tent still in Leon's pants, that blush now creeping back up as Raihan leaned back in kissing him. He pushed Leon on to his back against the couch. Before things kicked off again, Leon remembered, 

_"Oh! Rotom!"_ The small phone popped out of his discarded bag, _"Set a delivery order for spicy bone curry and sour smoke-poke tail curry from Magic Wok please!"_ the phone buzzed and complied. 

_"Damn, you just rolled out the red carpet for me tonight champ,"_ He was littering his neck with kisses, _"Givin' me a double battle, a new dragon, some free food and now THIS? I'm gonna have to spoil you back ten-fold now."_ Leon felt a sense of ease fall over him, and he responded cheekily, 

_"Well, as the unbeatable champ I always aim for perfection if I can!"_ The leader sighed, _"You are perfect."_ coming back in with a deep kiss. In that moment Leon couldn't imagine how any day before this would have been bearable. Right now, there were no PR meetings, no media or reporters, just the two of them. 

Sure, he expected his time as Champion would go on a little longer, but this... he felt like he could do this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd thats a wrap! I hope for a first fic it was bearable, I have never wrote anything to this extent before but,
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so I'm mostly just testing the water here, I definitly plan on continuing it though! I know the pain of finding a decent fic (if you could call this one that) and then scrolling to the bottom and seeing no addition chapters. That is the ultimate pain, but don't worry! I plan on continuing with about two more chapters, one switching over to Raihan's view more. 
> 
> I hope for a first attempt it is alright so far!


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